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Assemble! An Epic Trio Unites! is the first episode of Caverns & Crystals released on January 21, 2018, the same day this took place. This is an introduction episode and tells few details about the series. Synopsis Three close friends come to play a game to become three missing-in-action friends in imagination, except this game is basically an alternate universe. Having enough of the corrupted nature in the lost rooms, Druid Voltaire sets out on an adventure! The search of two more allies awaits and they'll restore the Shining Crystals scattered around... If they can! Will they agree to cooperate and set out for that one common goal? Plot (The episode starts in a special caver- Hold on. Let this play first.) (In a special cavern, two figures are having a talk... While the crystals are present.) ??? #1: You never learn, do you? ??? #2: Never learn about what? To protect the Shining Crystals is my duty. ??? #1: Yes, but that's a stupid role! I was thinking about it the entire time! ??? #2: Stupid role? Look who's talking. You're the one who kept failing. Have you ever considered giving up? ??? #1: No, and never will! ??? #2: You're already a disgrace! You're weak, and I'm better off protecting those Shining Crystals! ??? #1: I'm the one assigned for this! Who told you that you'd do it?! ??? #2: How about you? You never told me who assigned you to this. You'd never tell me why that someone should replace me with you! ??? #1: I'd never reveal that secret, even if it means taking my life! (Few seconds of thinking...) ??? #2: How sad. Well then... It's the end of your role... No, the end of your life as well! ??? #1: What kind of a guardi- (The camera switches to the bats flying away with terror, as the sound of a bang is heard. With splatters.) ??? #2: I won with your game of lies. There's only one thing left for me to do now. I;m no crystal guardian, and never will be! *takes all of the Shining Crystals after looking at them closely* (Suddenly, everything becomes distorted!) ??? #2: Slowly, the lost rooms will be mine! I will take its order and corrupt it to no end! ---- (Now have this playing. Couple of days have passed in that alternate universe. The place is now on a shore, and one specific Electric Blueberry with a natural grassy wig and a scented staff with decorated petals looks at the sea.) Voltaire: This shore... It isn't distorted yet? Wow! Hope isn't all lost! I am tired of this corrupted nature already! (Sparkles are visibly seen, and many sea creatures are still alive and normal.) Voltaire: Yeah, this one's unaffected! I'll have to restore the crystals... But I need few allies! Is that even possible? (While Voltaire, with her Druid class, is walking along the shore, she steps on... Green ink. The music stops.) Voltaire: ...What the. This isn't normal on a shore, especially that it'll get washed up by the water! Green Squid: *has pretty much jumpscared Voltaire* are you doing here?! Voltaire: WAAAUGH! *about to run away, but realizes the squid could be her potential ally* Wait a minute! You're not corrupted? Green Squid: there's still inhabitants like you around here. Follow me if you like, and if you're capable to. *swims away through the green ink* (Have this play now!) Voltaire: Hey! I can't see you, but I have to follow you, jerk! *follows the green ink* (This is one way to start one potentially crazy adventure... Even if there are still few things not corrupted, cooperation should be worked on, huh? Because that's how it'll go in this new series...) An IaLR Fantasy Story Series: Caverns & Crystals Voltaire: *gets two glue guns stuck on sand while following the green ink* I'd also like to get answers right now! *shoots glue, but missed, and this repeats* Oh come on! *eventually runs out of glue, and throws the glue guns away* (It turns out it was leading to a building full of colors. Seems like it's been abandoned for some time.) Voltaire: What is this place? What does this have to do with safety?! (The green squid turns to its... Or rather, his humanoid form. He's an inkling after all. He wears a samurai-looking hat, and for the rest of the gear: Black Inky Rider and Punk Blacks. He also wields that special Splat Roller.) ???: So you did follow me? You're no ordinary Druid. You could be useful... *thinking about it* Voltaire: I demand to know what is going on, you Samurai! Even if you're normal... (Stop the music!) ---- (While saying that sentence, it is reflected in the actual IaLR universe. Few characters are playing a game, which took place in that alternate universe, during their "RPG Session". Moon has Druid Voltaire, and Karaleaf has the green inkling on play. There's also Willow, but her role hasn't come up yet, and then there's Sasha Stylink, who's the Cavern Master. The location is at the Mushroom Grotto.) Moon: ...A helpful and good stranger shouldn't roll up his secret! Karaleaf: Roll up my what? That sounds like bad usage of words! Moon: *right eye twitching* I was trying to pull out an impression. I'm not someone who can roleplay that well, unlike you. Karaleaf: Doesn't sound like you're good at puns, neither. Sasha: As actions in real-life may be reflected in the game, which is Caverns & Crystals, this is going to be interesting. AH! I'm so hyped doing this for the first time! Willow: At least you're having fun, Cavern Master! *wink* Moon: ...Statement cancelled. (On the other hand, Caverns & Crystals... This sounds like and feels like a variation of Dungeons & Dragons so far...) ---- ???: It's not safe here. They're still trying to take this shore. Voltaire: "They"...? Don't you mean? (A species that looks like a hybrid of real squids, spiders and flowers but are crystallized exist. Three of them appear. They're the Crystallizers!) Crsytallizer #1: Crystallize... Chro-no! Attaccck! Crystallizer #2: Get all pure placcces! Crystallizer #3: Mucch better! Free pure meat! Voltaire: Oh no from the fires of hell! You're not touching the essence of nature here! You're not completely destroying it! ATTACK! *uses her staff to summon poisonous vines on the Crystallizer #1* ---- Karaleaf: Ah. I see why you chose Voltaire with the Druid class. Moon: The healer, and the poison inflicting class at the same time. My game style. Karaleaf: Apparently being insane and letting that grow in your character is also your game style -_-. ---- Voltaire: *does the same to Crystallizers #2 and #3* Have fun with your poison! *gets bitten and attacked by the three Crystallizers* Okay, fine, you freaky eaters! That's how you deal with it? ???: '''*throws Curling Bomb for Voltaire to increase her evasion for 3 turns while doing unavoidable damage at Crystallizer #1* You Crystallizers are the basic ones. Do you think you're getting away unscathed? '''Crystallizer #1: Deal with... Not just... *breaks* Voltaire: *dodges an attack due to boosted evasion* Oh hey! Take a load of this!!! *performs a chain attack with harmful electricity at the remaining two Crystallizers* Crystallizer #2: Th-That... *breaks* Crystallizer #3: *grows a bit bigger* Bigger! Now you will go away? Voltaire: I... I can't deal big enemies! I'm not- ???: ...No. *hits the last remaining Crystallizer with the Splat Roller* Instead of warning us that this world will be destroyed, do the opposite. *gives an intense look* Tell her that Klitz says "hi". *flings the Crystallizer away* Crystallizer #3: I regret nothing! *ting* Voltaire: *rolls eyes* ...Wow. And you didn't take any damage. Klitz: This is not the fight I'm testing you, yet. Come with me, we'll get inside that building. *enters the colorful building* Voltaire: Sigh... If you say so! *follows* ---- Sasha: Color me surprised, you two. Karaleaf: Thank Moon for that. She told me and Willow to read our moves and even improve them a bit. (Let this play.) Moon: Recap time! I know we can do any attacks that match our character, but we have three kinds of our main moves. Here's mine: the Effect Attack, Damage of the Devine, deals small (at least 29) damage on the main enemy target, and gurantees the Poison status for 3 turns. The Healing Move, Regrowth, heals the main ally target with 15% of the HP, and the other allies and myself with 8% HP. The Supporting Attack, Leeching Chain, deals a chain attack with poison and electricity elements combined and does moderate (at least 61) damage, while healing the user with half the damage dealt. We'll not go over our Special Moves, yet. Sasha: What?! I thought I'' give that kind of recap! '''Moon:' Sorry, couldn't resist. Sasha: Eh, whatever. You Crystal Players can do those recaps. Karaleaf: Let's go over mine: the Melee Attack, Razor Swing, deals moderate (at least 70) damage on the main enemy target. Then I have to roll the dice. If I get a 4 or higher, the target will be inflicted with the Bleed status for 3 turns... Which I got a 1 when I hit that last Crystallizer. The Supportive Attack, Concealing Curling Bomb, increases the main ally target's evasion by 12% for 3 turns, then deal small (at least 14) damage to the single main enemy target. The Defensive Move, Inky Defense, increases my defense by 55% and taunts all enemies for a turn. Depending on the percentage of damage taken that turn, get an attack boost with that percentage on the enxt turn. Moon: Let me guess. Considering your planned game style, you're probably not going to use it on our journey to the first Shining Crystal. Willow: We're not going over our abilities yet? Sasha: Not yet. Wait for a little longer! Or you'll get yourself overhyped. (Yeah right, your role is coming up immediately.) Moon: You're the one who tends to be overhyped. Isn't that right, Cavern Master? Sasha: I... I may be but does it matter?! (Now stop the music.) ---- (Inside the building...) Klitz: *surprised to see a certain someone trapped inside* I thought I told you to stay away from the Crystallizers as much as possible. (A princess of lightning is that someone. wearing a gown and a tall hat.) ???: I ran into her, what did you expect? Not to mention, my wand's no longer with me this time. Voltaire: And I'm here this time. Say, I've heard about you before, princess-who-always-gets-captured-in-the-lost-rooms. ???: The name's Rosalina, the Lightning Princess, and I'm still in-training. Voltaire: What if I say your wand is just... *sees more Crystallizers protecting the cage and wand* Nevermind! (This time, they look bigger and have two heads each. Also there are 7 of them.) Rosalina: The Tough Crystallizers are here, and not the normal ones. Voltaire: Seriously? More of them?! *prepares her staff* Oh you're so done for. *summons poisonous vines on the Tough Crystallizer #2 and poisoning it (Damage of the Devine)* Tough Crystallizers: Get that Druid-wannabe! Voltaire: No wait, wait, wait, wait!!! *gets pummeled by all of the Tough Crystallizers present* Klitz: Their attacks will redirect to the first striker of their opposing side... It's their ability. *gets the wand and gives it to Rosalina* You can do your thing now. Rosalina: *breaks the cage with magic* Now I'm free, but I'd rather eliminate those Crystallizers. Only then can they feel this painful love. *creepy smile* Let's do this. *waves her wand in the unusual way* ---- Willow: Randomly, one of the Tough Crystallizer's head explodes and dies! (Moments of silence... With confusion.) Willow: No need to question me. I got a 6. That should be reasonable enough to proceed! Sasha: Fair enough! The game can let you do anything, after all! Karaleaf: I still find her way of using Rosalina... Scary. (Back at it again!) Willow: That was not a move, that was a random desired action. But here's mine: the Group Attack, Star Shower, deals moderate (at least 55) damage to all enemies. Then I roll the dice. Getting a 3 or higher will drain all the helpful effects of an enemy or more. The Supportive Move, Light Lightning, makes all allies use their main attack on a random enemy, depending on said main attack. However, the power is boosted by 30% just for that supportive attack. The Summon Move, Luma Call, summons a random Luma, but it takes two turns, and I can't do this again if there's already a Luma on the field. At least the summoned Luma will gain a 30% attack boost on its first turn. ---- (The head of the 7th Tough Crystallizer explodes randomly, but silenced the situation for 5 seconds.) Tough Crystallizers: More threats! More threats! Should eliminate! (And now this plays.) Voltaire: '''You two...? Heh, I get it, we're all prepared for this! '''Rosalina: Now! *rains actual stars, damaging all Tough Crystallizers (Star Shower)* Tough Crystallizer #6: Ka-kraw! *spits multiple crystal missiles, dealing damage to the trio (Crystal Missiles)* Voltaire: Gah! You guys don't look okay! *summons healing vines for herself, then they also appear for Klitz and Rosalina (Regrowth)* Rosalina: ...The healing did almost nothing? Voltaire: What?! You know, there's obviously cons for everything! *later damages and poisons all the Tough Crystallizers* I'm more on offense but weak on the healing boost! Rosalina: Right. That's what a Druid does. Now, now. Klitz: I swear, if you use that mo- Rosalina: Too late, now do your work my allies!!! *had actually used Light Lightning* Voltaire: Wh-What is this? I wo- *forced to use Damage of the Devine, randomly on the Tough Crystallizer #2, breaking it* Klitz: If you so wi- *forced to use Razor Swing, randomly on the Tough Crystallizer #1, breaking it* Rosalina: You know what... I'll deal the re- *gets hit by a sting, stunning her for a turn (Stunning Sting)* Tough Crystallizer #5: Finish off! Voltaire: *starts using Regrowth slowly* Get back up! *sees the other Tough Crystallizers going to attack her* No way, I can't believe that! Klitz: ...Come at me. *has green ink surrounded to his body and taunts the enemies to attack him (Inky Defense)* Voltaire: Good, they're distracted... Fast. Rosalina: That's one turn! *summons a Yellow Luma (Luma Call)* Hey, bud. Use Star Bits on those Crystallizers! Yellow Luma: Okay! *throws Star Bits at the Tough Crystallizers, and since they were at little health, they are now broken* Rosalina: They had weak spots. Get my point here? I'd rather not destroy this building more than right now with the Star Shower. Aside from that, I know what kind of Crystallizers we're facing. (But wait - There's more! This is a two-wave battle the trio are engaging. The second and last wave of Tough Crystallizers arrive, and there are 4 of them. There is one new Crystallizer which has a black mask. It's a Thief Crystallizer.) Klitz: A second wave. They've done it at the wrong time. *pulls out three fully-charged Hero Leaves, and gives one to Voltaire and Rosalina each* ---- Karaleaf: I know I've set myself not to use Inky Defense, but screw that plan. Anyways, there you go. Now for the special moves! Sasha: Just in case you all forget: Voltaire's Special Move, 100,000 Volt Healing, inflicts all allies and the user with the Heal Over Time status for 5 turns. The status boost for this move's case is by 13% HP. In addition, their current HP is healed by 25% when this activates. Klitz's Special Move, Atomic Splashdown, deals massive (at least 250) damage to all enemies, but the user is stunned for 1 turn and has his defense lowered by 50% for 2 turns after the damage. (For what seems to be a glass cannon, he'll have a hard time enduring hits anyways, despite his Defensive Move.) Rosalina's Special Move, Power Star, summons a Power Star that can either be attacked or last for 3 turns. If attacked, it'll deal big (at least 110) damage to all enemies and dispel or remove all of their helpful effects. If left for 3 turns, it'll disappear but its remaining energy enables the heroes to move twice next turn after its disappearance. Willow: We've been moving for more than once lately. Sasha: Hence as punishment, they grew weaker. Karaleaf: At least I stayed within the rules, right? Moon: Sure, glass cannon. Let's finish them as quickly as possible with our Hero Leaves! ---- Voltaire: I think I know what this does. All three of us need natural healing!!! *activates her Special Move, healing the heroes now and slowly for 5 turns* Thief Crystallizer: Oh hey! Haccck! Attack that princess! *makes the Tough Crystallizers taunted to attack primarily Rosalina* Tough Crystallizers: Heh-heh-heh! Rosalina: Maybe glare at this for once! Maybe you'll love it!!! *activates her Special Move, summoning a Power Star* Thief Crystallizer: ...Huh. That star! *looks at it* Accck! You! More like a balloon star! Rosalina: (How did that not work?! Gah, stupid me and my ruined beauty! I'll make use of this wisely next time!!!) Klitz: *looks at Rosalina with a disappointed look* Nice try. *glares at the Crystallizers* If they won't pay attention, they will now. *activates his Special Move, utterly destroying the Crystallizers, but is now stunned despite the battle being over, yet the building didn't get destroyed completely* (Victory is served!) Voltaire: We won! And no need to worry. We'll be healed over time for a little longer. Rosalina: Thanks... Uh... Voltaire: My name and class? Druid Voltaire at your service, aiming to retrieve all the scattered Shining Crystals! Rosalina: The crystals... I'm wondering why did she scatter them all. Voltaire: You also don't know? Rosalina: Sadly, no, but you're the third character I've seen who isn't corrupted yet. This is a good sign. Voltaire: Do not tell me it's just the three of us. Rosalina: Who knows, theere could be more. Klitz: *no longer stunned after a short while* I believe there's few more. We just need to find them when needed. I can't trust our complete cooperation, though. Rosalina: Huh? You never completely trust anything, so why hide that fact?! You think this is already a bad idea?! (Well, it ain't over yet.) Voltaire: Hey now! We've just started. There will be more things to come! Besides, it's too early to judge ourselves, and we have one common goal. I may be the one to bring you down, but in some way, we need each other! Klitz: "Need each other"? Hmph, as if you've done it before. I'm just doing this to get stronger and to get rid of this entire mess. Rosalina: Three of us against the many Crystallizers? I don't think... Voltaire: No?! When the remaining pieces of hope are combined, I believe everything will be restored! And yes, we are those remaining pieces of hope! We were capable of defeating those Crystallizers! The others tried but they've been killed in return! Rosalina: Ugh, I'd rather live with this mess... Klitz: She has a point. Rosalina: What? You too?! Klitz: 'Says the one who's been captured and disobedient for your entire life. I think those who've tried but failed are weaklings, but this ''non-sense must be stopped. When we are on our way to regain everyone's peaceful lives, we'll make sure... The Crystallizers that will attack us will regret it. '''Rosalina: Just because you all are being confident, fine! I'll also do it. Those Crystallizers are the worst anyways! Voltaire: Heh! Glad to be the one uniting the potential epic trio! (The music stops.) Rosalina: We need somewhere else to stay. This place has been unsafe lately! I think there's no more safe places around these parts! Klitz: Hmph. Get yourself together. Just because one place is no longer safe doesn't mean it's the same for the rest. Voltaire: Well, I know where we'd stay. Come! (And so, the trio's crystallic and epic adventure shall begin...) ---- Sasha: *presses the Save Button* Will they find a place to stay? Find out next time on Caverns & Crystals! *has this playing* Same place in reality, same planned schedule! Moon: I don't think any of us have shown our headcanon changes to our characters yet, as Crystal Players, except Willow. She's making Rosalina a drama queen who's easily irritated. Willow: Why not, Moon? I can always see her like that. Lightning Princess's orders. Moon: The RPG Session just ended. You can't order us now, like that time earlier where you actually whipped us when you used Light Lightning. Willow: I can't resist, sorry! Moon: *sigh* Anyways, if that's how you play her, here's mine. Voltaire's going to be the hardworking leader, but is a real mess on the inside and cannot get innocent. A troublemaker, if you will. Karaleaf: All those who change their character's original personalities are jerks. Moon and Willow: *in unison* What? Karaleaf: Kiddin'. I don't know if the traits I'm about to mention are also part of his original personality. but I'll make Klitz the ruthless glass cannon of the group, inside and outside, and someone expecting to get what he wants. Willow: Sounds like a fun squad! Moon: We're going to be late for our group lunch. Let's go! Willow and Karaleaf: Will follow! Sasha: Have fun with your trip after the lunch, you three! ---- (5 minutes later, in the same location of Mushroom Grotto...) Sasha: *drinking juice mixed with pink ink to avoid getting splatted* Hmm? Hey, sis! You're back! ???: I heard you invited few Crystal Players to my game? Sasha: Of course! I'm a better advertiser than you, sis Espella! Espella: You should be the one calling my actual name, Stella, not my known nickname. Back on topic. *evil smile with confidence* It looks like... You've also made victims of my game. ~ End of Episode ~ Cast *Moon (Pokemon Trainer) as Druid Voltaire *Karaleaf as Samurai Klitz *Willow as Lightning Princess Rosalina *The Crystallizers *Sasha Stylink *Espella Trivia *This was originally going to be made on January 14, 2018, one week before this page was made, but it got delayed due to various issues. Category:Stories Category:Caverns & Crystals Category:Finished stories